Demographic Change and Ethnic Survival among the Sedentary Populations on the Jesuit Mission Frontiers of Spanish South America, 1609-1803

Despite severe mortality crises from epidemics, warfare, and famine, sedentary native populations on the Jesuit missions of Paraguay and Chiquitos survived and retained their unique ethnic identity between 1609 and 1803. This finding challenges conventional assumptions about Native American historical demography. The study analyzed demographic patterns, including the impact of old-world diseases like smallpox and measles, which occurred approximately every generation, killing thousands. By comparing these patterns with other mission populations, researchers contextualized the resilience and survival of the Paraguay and Chiquitos missions, highlighting their distinct demographic trajectories.

Jackson, R. H. (2015). Demographic Change and Ethnic Survival among the Sedentary Populations on the Jesuit Mission Frontiers of Spanish South America, 1609-1803. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004285002